Bag-in-box container for liquids

ABSTRACT

This invention is directed to an improved bag-in-box apparatus for containing and dispensing liquids such as beverages. The interior surface of the bottom of the box ( 20 ) is preferably sloped downward toward the spout ( 12 ) of the bag ( 10 ) such that gravity helps feed the liquid toward the spout ( 12 ). In lieu of or in conjunction with slopes, the interior bottom surface of the box ( 120, 130, 150, 140, 160 ) may have terraces ( 34 ), curves ( 132, 134 ), corrugations ( 152 ), fan-like ridges ( 142 ), or beams ( 162 ). The present invention thereby reduces the amount of residual liquid as the liquid is withdrawn from the bag ( 10 ) without the need for an evacuation strip or a special slanted rack. Although the primary intended application of the present invention is in bag-in-box packages for containing and dispensing beverages, this invention may also be used to advantage in other liquid dispensing applications.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. ProvisionalApplication Serial No. 60/197,026 filed on Apr. 13, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates generally to an apparatus for containingand dispensing liquid. More specifically, this invention is directed toan improved box and bag for a bag-in-box apparatus.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] In the field of post-mix beverage systems, an apparatus commonlyknown as a bag-in-box package is used to store and dispense beveragessuch as soft drinks. Typically, such bag-in-box packages comprise acollapsible bag or bladder disposed within a cardboard or plastic box.The bag has a spout for filing the bag with liquid, and the spoutprotrudes through a wall of the box for dispensing the liquid from thebag, usually by connection to a pump. One of the problems associatedwith such bag-in-box packages is that the bag collapses upon itself asthe liquid is withdrawn, which tends to create pockets of liquid thatare isolated from the spout and cannot be withdrawn from the bag. Thus,the residual portion of liquid remaining in the bag is wasted.

[0006] One possible solution to the foregoing problem is to place anevacuation strip inside the bag as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.5,749,493 to Boone et al. The bag of the '493 patent contains anelongated, narrow, flexible evacuation strip comprising a plurality ofupstanding ribs. The evacuation strip is attached to the inner surfaceof one of the bag walls. A spout is disposed through a wall of the bag,and the evacuation strip is in liquid communication with the spout. Asthe bag collapses upon withdrawal of the liquid through the spout, theribs of the evacuation strip prevent the walls of the bag from isolatingpockets of liquid from the spout. The evacuation strip thus enablessubstantially complete withdrawal of the liquid from the bag. However,the evacuation strip adds an extra complication to the bag manufacturingprocess.

[0007] Another possible attempt to solve the problem of incompletewithdrawal of the liquid from such bag-in-box packages is to place thepackages on slanted racks. By orienting the package such that the spoutis at the lowest possible point, gravity will assist in forcing theliquid toward the spout. However, the need for a special slanted rack isa disadvantage to such an arrangement.

[0008] In light of the foregoing disadvantages, it would be asignificant advancement in the art of liquid dispensing to provide abag-in-box package that would enable substantially complete withdrawalof the liquid from the container without the use of an evacuation stripor a slanted rack.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION,

[0009] Accordingly, this invention is directed to an improved box andbag of a bag-in-box apparatus for containing and dispensing liquids suchas beverages. The interior surface of the bottom of the box ispreferably sloped or terraced downward toward the spout of the bag suchthat gravity helps feed the liquid toward the spout. In this manner, thepresent invention reduces the amount of residual liquid as the liquid iswithdrawn from the bag. Although the primary intended application of thepresent invention is in bag-in-box packages for containing anddispensing beverages, this invention may also be used to advantage inother liquid dispensing applications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] This invention may best be understood by reference to thefollowing drawings:

[0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a box in accordance with thepresent invention.

[0012]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the box of FIG. 1 having acollapsible bag disposed therein.

[0013]FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the box of FIG. 1 havinga collapsible bag disposed therein.

[0014]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a boxin accordance with the present invention.

[0015]FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the box of FIG. 4 having acollapsible bag disposed therein.

[0016]FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a conventionalbag-in-box package having a flat, horizontal bottom.

[0017]FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a bag-in-box package inaccordance with the present invention.

[0018]FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of an alternativebag-in-box package in accordance with the present invention.

[0019]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another alternative box inaccordance with the present invention.

[0020]FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the box of FIG. 2 having analternative collapsible bag disposed therein.

[0021]FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of yet another box inaccordance with the present invention.

[0022]FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of still another box inaccordance with the present invention having an alternative collapsiblebag disposed therein.

[0023]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of yet another alternative box inaccordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a preferred embodiment of this inventioncomprises a box 20 having an interior bottom surface that is sloped,preferably both laterally and longitudinally. That is, the interiorbottom surface is sloped laterally along lines 24 as depicted by arrows26 and longitudinally along line 28 as depicted by arrows 30. Theexterior bottom surface 40 is flat (horizontal) like a conventional box.Box 20 has a flap opening 22 for receiving a spout 12 of a collapsiblebag 10 disposed within box 20. Together, bag 10 and box 20 form abag-in-box apparatus which is useful for containing and dispensing aliquid such as a beverage (not shown). Typically, a pump (not shown) isindirectly connected to spout 12 via a hose and connector (not shown)for dispensing the liquid. When filled with liquid, bag 10 will conformto the contour of the interior bottom surface of box 20, and bag 10 isoriented inside box 20 such that spout 12 is located at or near thelowest point of the interior bottom surface of box 20. As the liquid iswithdrawn from bag 10, gravity causes the liquid to seek the lowestpoint in box 20 (i.e., spout 12), which assists in withdrawal of theliquid. As used herein, the term “lateral” denotes a direction generallytransverse to spout 12, and “longitudinal” denotes a direction generallyparallel to spout 12.

[0025] Due to the lateral and longitudinal sloping of the interiorsurface of the bottom of box 20, the liquid moves toward spout 12. Thevelocity of the liquid at spout 12 will be greater than in other regionsof the liquid. This higher velocity creates a low pressure region whichin turn pulls more liquid toward spout 12 for improved drainage. Thisphenomenon is governed by the equation

P ₁+½ρV ₁ ² =P ₂+½ρV ₂ ²  Eq. [1]

[0026] where P represents static pressure, ρ represents the density ofthe liquid (which is assumed to be constant), V represents the velocityof the liquid, and subscripts 1 and 2 represent two different locationsin the liquid. The quantity ½ρV² represents the dynamic pressure at aparticular point in the liquid. If point 2 is chosen at spout 12 andpoint 1 is chosen at a location in the fluid remote from spout 12, onemay assume that V₂>>V₁, and Eq. [1] simplifies to

P ₂ =P ₁−½ρV ₂ ²  Eq. [2]

[0027] Equation [2] indicates that the static pressure at spout 12 islower than at other locations in the liquid, which draws the liquidtoward spout 12.

[0028]FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate another advantage of the presentinvention in providing improved flow of liquid. FIG. 6 depicts aconventional box 100 with a horizontal interior bottom surfacecontaining a certain volume of liquid 50 in a bag (not shown), and FIG.7 depicts a box 20 with a sloped interior bottom surface 24, 28 inaccordance with the present invention containing the same volume ofliquid 50 as FIG. 6 in a bag (not shown). The height (Δh₂) of the liquid50 above spout 12 in the sloped box 20 of FIG. 7 is greater than theheight (Δh₁) of the liquid 50 above spout 12 in the conventional box 100of FIG. 6. This increased height increases the static pressure at spout12, which results in better liquid flow when the pump is activated andalso delays the onset of starvation of the pump. This phenomenon isillustrated by the equation

P _(ref)+½ρV ₁ ² +ρgh ₁ =P _(ref)+½ρV ₂ ² +ρgh ₂  Eq. [3]

[0029] where P_(ref) is the static pressure at a reference level in theliquid, ρ is the density of the liquid (which is assumed to beconstant), V is the velocity of the liquid, g is the gravitationalconstant, h is the difference in height of the liquid from the referencelevel down to the level of interest, and subscripts 1 and 2 representtwo different locations in the liquid. If point 1 is chosen at the topof the liquid 50 above spout 12 and point 2 is chosen at spout 12, thenV₂>>V₁ and Eq. [3] simplifies to

V ₂ ²=2gΔh  Eq. [4]

[0030] where Δh=|h₁−h₂| is the height of the head of liquid 50 abovespout 12. Thus, as Δh increases, the velocity at spout 12 increases.Because Δh₂ in FIG. 7 is greater than Δh₁ in FIG. 6, the flow at spout12 is better (i.e., has a higher velocity) in the configuration of FIG.7 than in the configuration of FIG. 6 for the same volume of liquid inthe container. The sloped design of FIG. 7 also serves to delay thecollapse of the bag until substantially all of the liquid is withdrawn.

[0031] To minimize the residual liquid, the opening of spout 12 shouldbe at or below the lowest point on the interior bottom surface of box20. The longitudinal and lateral sloping of the interior bottom surfaceof box 20 may be accomplished by sloping the box itself (i.e., anintegral structure) or by adding an insert inside the box. The insert orbox bottom could be made of a variety of materials, such as fiberboard,corrugate, wood, plastic, metal, fiberglass, expanded foam, or any othersuitable material, which could be recycled or virgin.

[0032] The sloped interior bottom surface of box 20 may be replaced withseveral alternative configurations. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and5, the interior bottom surface of box 120 may comprise terraces 34.Alternatively, the interior bottom surface of the box may comprisecurves 132, 134 as shown on box 130 of FIG. 8, fans 142 as shown on box140 of FIG. 9, corrugations 152 as shown on box 150 of FIG. 11, or beams162 as shown on box 160 of FIG. 12. Furthermore, the foregoing types ofbox bottom structure may be combined in various combinations for theinterior bottom surface of the box, and any given type of structure mayhave any desirable number of slopes, terraces, curves, fans,corrugations, or beams, as the case may be. Although it is contemplatedthat the exterior bottom surface of the box will be substantially planarand horizontal during use for the sake of simplicity and compatibilitywith conventional horizontal shelves or racks, the exterior bottomsurface of the box may have any desirable configuration so long as theinterior bottom surface of the box is configured so as to urge a liquidcontained in a collapsible bag disposed within the box toward the bagspout under the influence of gravity due to a difference in elevation onthe interior bottom surface.

[0033] To further guard against the complete collapse of the bag uponitself and the consequent trapping of residual liquid inside the bag, astiffener 114 may be provided along the top surface of the bag 110 asshown in FIG. 10. As the liquid is withdrawn from bag 110, stiffener 114gradually approaches the bottom of box 20, and the outer edges ofstiffener 114 eventually come to rest upon slopes 24 leaving a gapbetween stiffener 114 and the bottom of bag 110 so that liquid may passthrough spout 12. Stiffener 114 may be provided on the interior of thetop of bag 110 as shown in FIG. 10, or stiffener 214 may be provided onthe exterior of bag 210 as shown inside box 160 of FIG. 12. Such astiffener, which could be integral to the bag itself or a separatemember attached to the bag by suitable means such as heat sealing oradhesive, may be used to advantage in conjunction with any type of boxbottom as disclosed herein.

[0034]FIG. 13 illustrates a box 170 having beams 172 on its interiorbottom surface. Beams 172 stop short of spout 12 to form a collectionzone 80 in the vicinity of spout 12 to assist in the withdrawal ofliquid from the bag (not; shown). As an additional safeguard against thecollapse of the bag, the top of the bag (not shown) may be attached tothe top of the box 170 using a suitable means of attachment 70, such ashook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, or adhesives.

[0035] Although the foregoing specific details describe a preferredembodiment of this invention, persons reasonably skilled in the art ofliquid dispensing will recognize that various changes may be made in thedetails of the apparatus of this invention without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.Therefore, it should be understood that this invention is not to belimited to the specific details shown and described herein.

We claim:
 1. A box for receiving a collapsible bag, the bag having aspout and being capable of containing and dispensing a liquid, said boxcomprising: an interior bottom surface for supporting the collapsiblebag, said interior bottom surface comprising a first location and asecond location, there being a difference in elevation between saidfirst and second locations, said interior bottom surface having at leastone portion selected from the group consisting of terrace, curve,corrugation, fan, and beam; and a wall adjacent said interior bottomsurface, said wall having an opening for receiving the spout of thecollapsible bag; wherein a liquid contained in the collapsible bag willbe urged toward the spout under the influence of gravity due to saiddifference in elevation.
 2. The box of claim 1 wherein said interiorbottom surface further comprises at least one slope.
 3. The box of claim2 wherein said at least one slope comprises a lateral slope.
 4. The boxof claim 2 wherein said at least one slope comprises a longitudinalslope.
 5. The box of claim 2 wherein said at least one slope comprises alateral slope and a longitudinal slope.
 6. (deleted)
 7. (deleted) 8.(deleted)
 9. (deleted)
 10. (deleted)
 11. The box of claim 1 wherein saidinterior bottom surface is integral to said box.
 12. The box of claim 1wherein said interior bottom surface is provided by an insert to saidbox.
 13. The box of claim 1 further comprising a substantiallyhorizontal exterior bottom surface.
 14. The box of claim 1 wherein saiddifference in elevation allows substantially complete withdrawal ofliquid from the collapsible bag.
 15. A bag-in-box apparatus forcontaining and dispensing a liquid, said apparatus comprising: acollapsible bag having a spout; and a box comprising an interior bottomsurface having a first location and a second location, there being adifference in elevation between said first and second locations, saidinterior bottom surface having at least one portion selected from thegroup consisting of terrace, curve, corrugation, fan, and beam, said boxfurther comprising a wall adjacent said interior bottom surface, saidwall having an opening therein, said collapsible bag being disposedwithin said box, said spout being disposed through said opening in saidwall; wherein a liquid contained in said collapsible bag will be urgedtoward said spout under the influence of gravity due to said differencein elevation.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said interior bottomsurface further comprises at least one slope.
 17. The apparatus of claim16 wherein said at least one slope comprises a lateral slope.
 18. Theapparatus of claim 16 wherein said at least one slope comprises alongitudinal slope.
 19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said at leastone slope comprises a lateral slope and a longitudinal slope. 20.(deleted)
 21. (deleted)
 22. (deleted)
 23. (deleted)
 24. (deleted) 25.The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said interior bottom surface isintegral to said box.
 26. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein saidinterior bottom surface is provided by an insert to said box.
 27. Theapparatus of claim 15 wherein said box further comprises a substantiallyhorizontal exterior bottom surface.
 28. The apparatus of claim 15wherein said difference in elevation allows substantially completewithdrawal of liquid from said collapsible bag.
 29. The apparatus ofclaim 15 wherein said bag comprises a stiffener that cooperates withsaid interior bottom surface as said bag collapses to allowsubstantially complete withdrawal of liquid from said bag.
 30. Theapparatus of claim 15 wherein said box has a top and said bag isattached to said top.
 31. A box for receiving a collapsible bag, the baghaving a spout and being capable of containing and dispensing a liquid,said box comprising: an insert forming an interior bottom surface ofsaid box for supporting the collapsible bag, said interior bottomsurface comprising a first location and a second location, there being adifference in elevation between said first and second locations; and awall adjacent said interior bottom surface, said wall having an openingfor receiving the spout of the collapsible bag; wherein a liquidcontained in the collapsible bag will be urged toward the spout underthe influence of gravity due to said difference in elevation.
 32. Abag-in-box apparatus for containing and dispensing a liquid, saidapparatus comprising: a collapsible bag having a spout; and a boxcomprising an insert which forms an interior bottom surface having afirst location and a second location, there being a difference inelevation between said first and second locations, said box furthercomprising a wall adjacent said interior bottom surface, said wallhaving an opening therein, said collapsible bag being disposed withinsaid box, said spout being disposed through said opening in said wall;wherein a liquid contained in said collapsible bag will be urged towardsaid spout under the influence of gravity due to said difference inelevation.
 33. A bag-in-box apparatus for containing and dispensing aliquid, said apparatus comprising: a collapsible bag having a spout anda stiffener; and a box comprising an interior bottom surface having afirst location and a second location, there being a difference inelevation between said first and second locations, said box furthercomprising a wall adjacent said interior bottom surface, said wallhaving an opening therein, said collapsible bag being disposed withinsaid box, said spout being disposed through said opening in said wall;wherein a liquid contained in said collapsible bag will be urged towardsaid spout under the influence of gravity due to said difference inelevation and wherein said stiffener cooperates with said interiorbottom surface as said bag collapses to allow substantially completewithdrawal of liquid from said bag.
 34. The apparatus of claim 33wherein said stiffener is substantially flat.